Water-heater.



B. VALE.

WATER HEATER,

APPLICATION FILED o0I.21,1908.

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WATER HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 21, 1908. 994,432, v Patented June 6, 1911.

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BALDWIN VALE, 0F STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

WATER-HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 21, 1908.

Patented June 6, 1911.

Serial No. 458,886.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BALDWIN VALE, a citizen of the Unit-ed States, andresiding at 725 South Pilgrim street, in the city of Stockton, county ofSan Joaquin, and State of California, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Tater-Heaters; and -I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the saidinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itmost nearly appertains to make, use, and practice the same.

This invention relates to improvements in water heaters, and consists inthe novel construction and arrangement of the parts.

The objects accomplished are the production of a heater with a largeheating area within a small compass; whereby a small quantity of wateris acted upon by a relatively large quantity of heat; and further togive the heater the shape best calculated to withstand water pressure,and the stresses of expansion and contraction; with a free Watercirculation without steam traps or pockets; with few parts, and ofpleasing outline; and capable of operation in series or multiple, withthe connections used in common practice; and capable of serving thepurpose of boiler stand as well as heater for domestic installations;and so insulated and inclosed that no llame can issue from the heaterdangerous to surroundings.

Broadly the invention consists of two hollow hemispheres withintercommunicating water jackets, so arranged that the products ofcombustion spread over the outer surface of the lower hemisphere, andover the inner surface of the upper hemisphere or dome which is ofgreater diameter. The cold water is admitted to the lower and escapesfrom the upper hemisphere. d an inclosing shell with the same diameteras the dome, and inclosing the lower hemisphere, and the burner; thusmaking the heater externally a perfect sphere.

In the drawings: Figure -1- is a vertical cross section of a waterheater constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. -2 is a sideelevation of the same connected with a kitchen boiler.

In detail the invention consists of the lower hemisphere #1, (forconvenience this will be called a hemisphere although it is slightlyless than half-a-sphere, but has a true radius), having the inletopenings #2, and #3 to the water space or jacket #4, between the walls#5 and #6.

The upper hemisphere or dome #7 has the space #8 between the walls #9and #10. The spaces #4 and #8 are hermetically connected by the necks#11, set into the sockets #12, and sealed by the cement #13. Theseunions are preferably three in number as three points will match upbetter than more or less. The two members are drawn together by the capscrews #14, threaded into the lugs #15. Thus joined the two members forma hollow spheroidal water jacket, the external contour of the spherebeing completed by the shell #16, meeting and joined at the equator, andinclosing the burner, the bottom #17 of which completes the sphere.

The burner comprises the bowl #18 into which the combustible mixture ofair and gas is liberated from the mixing throat #19, having the usualaspirator #20, gas injector #21, and gas cock #22. This burner isdesigned particularly to prevent back firing. With this end in view theneck is made long, and annular to save space; thus removing the flame asfar as practicable from the inlet. The burner cover is composed of aseries of annular superimposed plates #23, #24, #25, having the upturnedflanges #26, and the twyer flanges #27, the space between these platesforming the outlet for the mixture, causing an annular pyramidal flame.The plates are spaced evenly by bosses on their surfaces; and are helddown by the flange #28 on the tubular neck #29, threaded into therunning nut #30 below the bowl. The bowl is surrounded by the annularflange #31, with the air spaces #32 between. The function of th1s flangeis to confine and thoroughly oXidize the llame before it s reads: and italsomaterially lessens the heating of the shell #16 by induction. Italso allows the burner to be lowered away from the lower heating memberwithout exposing the flame. Any condensation from the heating surface,which sometimes results from burning a Bunsen burner with water gasagainst a cold surface, would drip into the shell #16 and be evaporatedby the heat. The burner llame 1s ignited through the opening #36.

When the heater is connected beneath a reservoir the cold water isintroduced through the pipe #33 to the lower heating member, the pipe#34 being screwed into place as a mounting for the burner, which restsupon a set collar #42 on the pipe which serves as a draw off forcleaning the apparatus, it 'being the lowest point. From #l the waterflows upward through the connections #1l to the dome; thence through theoutlet #35 to the service pipes, or back into the top of the reservoir,the water continuing to circulate through the apparatus by thermosyphonuntil drawn oil". If the heater is used as an instantaneous or openheater the cold wat-er is introduced through the pipe #34; the pipe #33being omitted and the socket plugged.

The flame issuing from the burner impinges against the wall #5, which iscorrugated and provided with the depending annular flanges 37, aroundwhich it circu lates until liberated through the gaps #38 to the nextspace. It escapes from the lower hemisphere and impinges against theinner surface #9 of the dome, around which it circulates in like maneruntil the unabsorbed heat escapes through the vent #39 at the top of theheater. To further retard the escape of the heated gases the tube #40 1sset in the vent hole, its lower end extending into the heater below theupper rim of the lower hemis here. The perforations #41 being provi edto allow enough draft to cause the heated gases to rise to thehighestpoint in the dome.4 The function of this tube is to retard theescape of the heated gases without obstructing lthe draft suction of thevent; it is essential that the heater be well ventilated without loss ofheat.

Both the lower and upper hemispheres are adapted to be cast as integralpieces as illustrated, preferably of cast iron because of its heatabsorbing qualities, cheapness, and strength. There are other metals andalloys of greater cost and efficiency however, equally suitable.Further: the parts may be struck from sheet metal and assembled, theform being altered to suit conditions.

The spherical shape while preferable 1s not absolutely essential to theproper working of the heater, as pyramidal, conical, and cylindricalshapes may be combined 1n substantially the same maner without depart.-in from the spirit of the invention.

-Iaving thus described this invention what is claimed and desired tosecure vby Letters Patent is:

1. A water heater comprising a hollow, substantially hemispherical waterjacket provided with a corrugated heating surface and a service inletin` its lower portion, a hollow, substantially hemispherical water jacketed dome of greater diameter than said water jacket also providedwith a corrugated heating surface, servceconnections between said waterjacket and said dome, a substantially hemispherical shell depending fromsaid dome, a space being formed between said shell and said jacket, saidspace communicating with the hollow of said dome, said shell beingprovided with an opening to receive a burner, an upright flange toinclose said burner, and a vent tube set within the top of said dome andextending downward and provided with perforations near the top thereof.

2. A water heater comprising a hollow substantially hemispherical waterjacket, with a corrugated heating surface with de# pending flanges, anda service inlet at its lower point, and outlets at its upper pointconnected with coincident ports in a hollow substantially hemisphericalwater jacketed dome of greater diameter, with a corrugated heatingsurface with depending flanges, and a service outlet at its upper point:and a shell depending from said dome and inclosing a burner, a spacebeing formed between said shell and said water jacket, said spacecommunicating with the hollow of said dome, the latter being providedwith a vent.

3. A water heater comprising a hollow water jacket provided with aconvex corrugated heating surface, a service inlet at its lower pointand outlets at its upper points, a hollow water jacketed dome of greaterdiameter than said water jacket, said dome being provided with a concavecorrugated heating surface and with a service outlet and a vent at itsupper end, communication being established between said dome and saidwater jacket, a shell depending from said dome, and spaced from saidwater jacket, a communication being provided between said space and thehollow of Said dome, and a burner located within said shell.

4:. A water heater comprisin a bod)7 formed with two hollowsubstantially hemlspherical intercommunicating members comprising awater jacket and a water j acketed dome, the upper rim of the lowermember bein set within the lower rim of the upper mem er, said bodyincluding a substantially hemispherical shell inclosing the lower memberand forming a continuation of the outer wall of the upper member, saidshell being provided with an opening to receive a burner, a space beingformed between said shell and the lower water jacket, said spacecommunicating with the hollow of the upper water jacket, a vent beingprovided for said hollow, and service connections to the respectivewater jackets.

5. A water heater comprising a body including superposed hollowhemispherical members rovided with intercommunicating water jac ets, theu er rim of the lower member being set wit in the lower rim of the uppermember, the upper member being provided with a vent opening, a vent pipeextending through said vent opening and In testimony whereof, I havehereunto set terminatin adjacent the tolp wal brf the my hand this firstday of September 1908, lower mem er and a burner ooate neath the lowermeniber, said body being provided BALDWIN VALE' with passages forpermitting heat from said Witnesses:

burner to pass to the interior or hollow WM. S. HODGES, space formed bysaid members. OLIVER VALE.

Copies o! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. i

